Resurrection
No resurrection, no Christianity.
Resurrection is what sets Christianity apart. This is
what the Bible teaches. This is what the Church has always believed.
Jesus’ birth was natural, but His conception was supernatural.
His death was natural, but His resurrection was supernatural.
So, what is the evidence for Jesus’ resurrection
according to the Bible?
First, the tomb was empty. His body was gone.
Archaeologists have discovered two possible tomb sites with biblical
evidence—one is the traditional site, and the other is the so-called Garden
Tomb.
Second, Jesus’ graveclothes were left
behind—undisturbed. His body was gone, but the strips of linen were lying
there, collapsed in place. They looked like a discarded chrysalis from which a
butterfly had emerged—untouched and unfolded.
Third, Jesus was seen. The risen Christ appeared
to Mary Magdalene, to other women, to Peter, and to the disciples.
Changed
Lives
But perhaps the most convincing evidence is changed
lives.
In today’s Scripture, the disciples were hiding behind
closed doors, because they were afraid. But after encountering the risen
Christ, their hearts were filled with joy and hope—and later, with the power of
the Holy Spirit.
How do we explain Peter in John 18, where he denied
Jesus three times, and the same Peter in Acts 2, boldly preaching before three
thousand people? It’s the same man. What changed? He met the risen Christ and
was filled with His Spirit.
How do we explain Saul on the road to Damascus (Acts 9)
and Paul standing in chains preaching boldly before King Agrippa (Acts 26)? He,
too, encountered the risen Christ—and it changed everything.
I remember one of the most moving moments during our
Holy Land pilgrimage in 2022. We visited the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem—the place
where Jesus’ body may have lain for three days. But what moved me most was the
testimony of the guide at the Garden Tomb.
He shared the biblical account of Jesus’ resurrection
and explained the historical background of the site. At the end, he said
something unforgettable: “Friends, I am physically blind, but spiritually, I
now see everything clearly.”
He shared how he had been angry, lost, and searching for
meaning because of his visual impairment. But by God’s grace, he heard the Good
News and believed. The resurrection of Jesus became real to him. He began to
sense the presence of the risen Christ in his own life. He became a new
person—with direction, purpose, and joy. I just could tell joy permeated his
face and his whole being.
This is his story. This is our story: “I once was lost,
but now am found; was blind, but now I see.”
Because of Jesus’ resurrection, lives are still being
transformed today.
On this Easter Sunday, all three of our churches are
welcoming new members: Robert Victor, Sirong Wang, Vernell Strecker, and
Lillian DeCola* (*Lillian completed the class but could not attend today due to
illness).
During our new membership class, I had the privilege of
hearing their faith stories.
Nell shared how, in her youth, she was rebellious. Until
her late 30s, she attended a very liberal Unitarian Church. She believed all
religions led to the same place and thought she had a ticket to heaven. But
when she turned 39, a friend shared the Gospel with her: humble yourself, seek,
knock, repent, confess, believe, receive Jesus. And she did.
She described her conversion like this:
“I stopped ignoring Jesus knocking on the door of my
heart. I opened it with a sincere prayer. It was like 'heart surgery.' I
confessed my disobedience and rebellion, then asked for forgiveness. All the
junk in my heart was lifted out, and in its place, God put the portion of
Himself, reserved for me, bathed in everlasting, unconditional love. That date
was April 30, 1981.”
What about Rob? He grew up in the church but left at 14 because
of his parents’ divorce. After that, he wanted nothing to do with the church.
He went through two painful divorces and suffered from depression. But in his
early 50s, he began to read the Bible and listen to a Christian radio station
in Monticello, ME. Eventually, he moved from Connecticut to Maine, began a new
life, joining the church today.
And what about Sirong? He came to New Brunswick, Canada,
for graduate studies. There, he found a welcoming church community and was
baptized. Today, he’s joining Houlton UMC. His parents will be baptized and
join the church on Pentecost Sunday in June.
Sirong humbly said he had nothing special to share. But
if we look at his story, it’s clearly the supernatural work of God.
Coming to faith, believing, being baptized—these are all miraculous signs of
the risen Christ at work. His parents’ journey to baptism is another sign of
resurrection power.
New
Garden
This morning, we sang with joy:
“He lives! He lives! Christ Jesus lives today! He walks
with me and talks with me... You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my
heart.”
Because of the risen Christ, we live and move and have
our being. His resurrection is not just a historical fact. The disciples were
changed. We are being changed.
But there is even more!
The resurrection gives us an undying hope for tomorrow.
Jesus’ empty tomb in the garden points to the New Garden—the renewed Garden of
Eden—in Revelation 21–22.
If there were no resurrection, there would be no hope
beyond this life. If there were no resurrection, our faith would be in vain.
But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead. He is the first fruits, the
trailblazer, the waymaker to eternal life. In Him, we have a guaranteed,
glorious future in the New Garden.
In a way, our life now is like watching a rerun.
On Friday, my family watched Pilgrim’s
Progress. The first time we watched it, we were anxious whenever Christian
got into trouble. But now, no matter what he faces, we’re not afraid—because
we know how the story ends.
The same is true for us. No matter what comes, we can
say, “It is well with my soul.” Christians, by nature, are eternal optimists.
End
Is Beginning
None of us here are immune to suffering. Some of us are
walking through hardships, illness, or grief right now. But none of these can
change God’s redemption story. None of these change the ending.
God will wipe every tear from our eyes. There will be no
more death, sorrow, crying, or pain (Revelation 21:4). And one day, there will
be a great family reunion in Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:17).
Nathalie Sleeth, a church organist and composer, once
wrote a poem inspired by T. S. Eliot’s words: “In the end is my beginning.”
Shortly after writing it, her husband was diagnosed with a terminal illness.
This poem was sung at his funeral:
In
our end is our beginning
In our time, infinity
In our doubt, there is believing
In our life, eternity
In our death, a resurrection
At the last, a victory
Unrevealed until its season
Something God alone can see!
Because Christ is risen, we can face tomorrow. No matter
what comes, life is worth living—because we know how the story ends: Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ
will come again. Thanks be to God. Amen.
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